Edison Is Destined for Final

There was an overriding theme for the Edison baseball team after it upset second-seeded Mater Dei, 6-5, Tuesday in the Southern Section Division II semifinals at Mater Dei.

“Destiny,” Charger Coach Dave Tallman said after the win. “Edison lost in the final in 1981 [to Westminster], lost in the final in 1991 [to Long Beach Millikan], and now it’s 2001.

“And we’re going to win it this time.”

Mater Dei (25-5) scored three times in the first and loaded the bases with one out in the second. But Edison starter Jeff Gilmore (8-2) retired the last two Mater Dei batters of the inning without any further damage.

“The first and second innings we played flat-out ugly,” Tallman said. “We were on the verge of getting blown right out of here.”

Edison cut it to 3-1 in the fourth, and chased Mater Dei starter Anthony Slama with two outs in the fifth, runners on second and third and the score 3-2.

Warren Chenier, who replaced Slama, walked Jared Shwam to load the bases and Cory Vanderhook followed with a single that scored Chris Brannan to tie it 3-3. Monarch catcher Richard Mercado, after taking the relay throw home on the play, overthrew third baseman Andrew Castillo trying to throw out Joey Mozeleski, who was retreating to third.

Mozeleski scored on the throwing error and give the Chargers a 4-3 advantage, and Marcus McCuthcheon followed with a two-run single.

Mater Dei’s Mike Harris led off the fifth with a homer to make it 6-4, and the Monarchs again threatened in the seventh. Scott Booth, who replaced Gilmore with none out in the fifth, gave up consecutive singles to start the inning.

Charger left-hander David Huff, who has two victories as a starter in the playoffs, replaced Booth and induced Daniel Perales to loop a fly ball to a charging Andrew McEachin in right field. McEachin, a late inning replacement, caught the ball, threw to Mozeleski at first base and doubled up pinch runner Shaun Miller.

“McEachin usually plays the infield for us,” Tallman said, “and he ends up making one of the biggest plays of his life in right.”

Huff gave up an RBI single to Garrett Gipe to score Harris to make it 6-5, but then Huff struck out Jason Murray to end the game.

For Tallman’s prediction to hold true, the Chargers will have to beat Riverside Poly, a 5-3 winner over Trabuco Hills.

Edison has never won a Southern Section baseball championship.

“We just refuse to lose,” Vanderhook said. “We’re a team of destiny.”

Mike Haubrich

In another Division II semifinal:

Riverside Poly 5, Trabuco Hills 3--Trabuco Hills (21-9) took 2-0 lead in first, but gave up four in the third and never recovered.